Brain Driven Brands

Episode: The Weird Ad Length That Drove 40% More Traffic
Date: October 7, 2025
Host: Sarah Levinger

Main Theme

This episode dives into a surprising neuromarketing insight: ads under 10 seconds in length can dramatically boost traffic and engagement—contradicting much of the conventional wisdom in D2C marketing. Sarah Levinger explores the data, psychological drivers, and practical implications of this finding, while discussing how brands can harness ultra-short “micro ads” to move users efficiently from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and CTV to their own sites.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Science of the 10-Second Ad

• Groundbreaking New Study:

  • Recent research (June 2025, Indiana University & Texas Christian University) found that ads under 10 seconds generated 3x engagement compared to longer formats (04:30).
  • “The less than 10 second ads generated 3x engagement… and TV drove up to 40% more traffic to the brand's website. That's crazy.”—Sarah (04:30)
  • Study involved 50,000 TV airings and 25,000 Facebook ad impressions.

• Click-Through Rate Difference:

  • A/B test showed that a 10-second ad reached a 35% CTR, versus 25% for a 25-second spot (03:56).
  • “35% click through rate… I was like, what was in this ad?”—Sarah (04:11)

• Engagement, Not Conversions:

  • The data focuses on boosting traffic and engagement, not direct sales—but getting high-intent users to your site is the crucial first step in a modern funnel (03:43-03:51).

The Psychology: Curiosity Over Closure

• Shorter = More Curiosity:

  • Providing less information creates curiosity, leading to more clicks (03:51).
  • “Sometimes the less information we give, the more curiosity it creates.”—Sarah (03:51)
  • Longer ads full of rational arguments may satisfy but don’t spark action.

• Your Ad’s Job:

  • “I don't think it's an ad's job to sell your product. I think it’s only an ad's job to sell the click.”—Nate (05:14)
  • Ads should get qualified prospects to the site, where the page does the selling (05:14-05:32).

Micro Ads: Forcing Focus and Clarity

• Tactical Takeaway:

  • Marketers should refactor ads to 10 seconds or less, focusing only on the core hook or benefit (06:10, 10:03).
  • Forces clear, outcome-driven messaging.

• “If you can't get somebody to click within 10 freaking seconds, are you doing your job?”—Sarah (10:06)

• Even Complex Products Can Do It:

  • “None of us run businesses more complicated that can't be explained in a 10-second ad.”—Nate (10:17)
  • Even insurance companies distill value quickly!

The 10-Second Ad Challenge (Live Copy Game)

(11:01–14:17)

• Sarah challenges Nate (a pro copywriter) to improvise 10-second ad reads for various brands, demonstrating the difficulty and discipline of micro-messaging.

• Sample Ad Reads:

  • OG (for a female gift buyer):
    • “Show your man he’s worth every second with a gift as unique and storied as he is…” — Nate (11:34)
  • Liquid Death:
    • “Pure water. Dirty lifestyle.” — Nate (12:24)
  • Dad Game:
    • “We make the best hats for the best dads to make the best memories count.” — Nate (13:53)

• “Taking that down to 10 seconds forces you to realize I oversell. And the brain doesn't need that much context…”—Sarah (12:59)

Outcome-Driven, Not Pain-Driven Messaging

• Skip the Pain, Show the Promise:

  • Ads habitually fixate on pain points, but users already know their problems (16:03–18:06).
  • “Let's just show the ideal outcome… That’s what I give a shit about.”—Nate (18:22)

• Start With the Happy Ending:

  • Counterintuitive advice: lead with the benefit or ultimate outcome, then (if necessary) add minimal context.
  • Example:
    • “And she lived happily ever after… because she bought him this watch.” (17:13)
    • “He never felt more confident.” (18:17)
  • “Start with the ideal outcome and hammer that for 10 seconds of an ad and see what happens.”—Nate (19:42)

Ad Campaign Series and D2C Implications

• Micro-Campaigns & Serial Advertising:

  • Reference to successful recent trends: brands running series of short-form creative campaigns, delivering intrigue and entertainment in quick bursts (19:54–20:27).

• Super Bowl as a Model:

  • Super Bowl advertisers are increasingly running campaign “sequels” and teasers in the months leading up to the event—D2C brands should follow suit with longer pre-sale runway and episodic short ads (20:43–21:36).

Notable Quotes

• On Ad Function:
  “It’s only an ad’s job to get you to the site. Your site should do more of the selling for you.”—Nate (05:14)

• On Execution:
  “If you can’t get somebody to click within 10 freaking seconds, are you doing your job?”—Sarah (10:06)

• On Copywriting Clarity:
  “Taking that down to 10 seconds forces you to realize I oversell. And the brain doesn't need that much context to be able to move forward.”—Sarah (12:59)

• On Creative Structure:
  “Has anything memorable ever happened after 10 seconds in an ad?”—Nate (14:36)

• On Shifting Focus:
  “Calling out a pain point like, ‘Are you tired in the morning?’ So shut the up. Everyone’s tired in the morning… Let's just show the ideal outcome. Let's just show the outcome.”—Nate (18:35)

• Advice to Listener:
  “Here's your homework this week. Go out and run us a 10 second ad. And then ping us on Twitter and be like, I ran it. Here was the results…”—Sarah (21:36)

Action Items and Practical Recommendations

For E-Commerce Marketers

• Audit Your Top Video Ads:

  • Take best performers and distill them under 10 seconds, starting with the core benefit—NOT the pain point (19:01–19:42).

• Create New, Purely Outcome-Focused 10-Second Spots:

  • Ignore pain points. Lead with outcomes and test vs. pain-led ads.

• Experiment with Episodic, Campaign-Based Micro-Ads:

  • Build intrigue and pattern interruption with serial ad formats (20:23).

• Test and Report:

  • Run experiments and share results in industry communities.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:57] – Ad Length Quiz & Reveal (6/7/10 second debate)
• [03:56] – Study Stats: Click-Through Rates Compared
• [04:30] – Study Details: TV & Facebook Ad Results
• [05:14] – “Sell the Click, Not the Product” Philosophy
• [10:03] – Definition & Power of “Micro Ads”
• [11:01–14:17] – Live 10-Second Ad Copywriting Game
• [16:03–18:06] – Benefit-First vs. Pain-First Ad Writing
• [19:01–19:48] – Recap/Recommended Next Steps
• [19:54–20:27] – Creative Trends: Campaign Series/Mini-Stories
• [21:36] – Actionable Homework for Listeners

Closing Thoughts

Sarah and guest urge listeners to “think smaller” (and sharper): refocus your messaging, limit your context, and experiment with ultra-short, outcome-driven ads. The research is clear—brevity not only respects modern attention spans but can triple engagement and drive dramatically more site traffic. Don’t waste time or money being verbose.

Homework:
Run a 10-second, outcome-first ad. Share your results on Twitter with Sarah Levinger.